It’s not often that I travel just for a hotel. Most destinations trump accommodations. But every once in a while there’s a hotel so special that I’ll take a trip just to stay there, and today that hotel is the Six Senses Douro Valley in Portugal. Read on for my Six Senses Douro Valley review.

Six Senses Douro Valley

Six Senses Douro Valley Review

Why am I traveling just for this hotel? I’ve been here before. A few years ago I traveled to the Douro Valley on one of the best trips I’ve taken in Europe.

I fell in love with the vineyards, rivers, food, and wine in a region that flies so far below most people’s radars that it’s nearly off the tourist grid (maybe that’s why I loved it so much).

Boat on the Douro River

As part of the trip, I visited the property that would one day become the Six Senses Douro Valley. Back then it was another hotel, and I remember being enamored with the exterior but a bit daunted by how dark the interior was.

When I heard it was re-opening as a Six Senses, I knew I had to go back and see it again. And now I’m here in Portugal as a guest of the hotel to do just that.

Six Senses Douro Valley Terrace

Douro Valley

An hour-and-a-half by car from Porto airport, the Douro Valley unfolds in steep terraced hills rising up from the deep blue waters of the Douro River.

Bright green grape leaves shine under the hot summer sun, hiding swollen purple grapes that will soon be harvested for the region’s famous Port (and its underrated still wines).

Grapes in a Vineyard in the Douro Valley

Throughout the valley, towns and villages hug the hillsides, showing off dazzling tile churches and historic squares.

Port wine houses sit in between, opening their doors to visitors for tours and tastings. It’s one of the perfect summer travel destinations, only without all the crowds.

Vineyards in the Douro Valley

Six Senses Hotel in the Douro Valley

Eventually the roads lead to the Six Senses Douro Valley, where the hotel—which is set in a historic stately home on a beautiful bend in the river—awaits.

Six Senses Douro Valley Fountain

I’m both excited and nervous to be back. I want the place to be perfect, but I’m worried my expectations are too high.

Six Senses Douro Valley

But it impresses. My room is light and generously spacious, with plenty of luxurious amenities.

The windows are a bit small and recessed, but other rooms I see have floor-to-ceiling windows that show off the view of the Douro River. I make a mental note to request one of those next time.

Six Senses Douro Valley Hotel Room

The Six Senses Douro Valley’s lounge, bar, and restaurant are all decorated stylishly, with a mix of contemporary design and well-chosen antiques.

A magenta pool table adds color to the bar, and a breadcrumb trail of contemporary art leads me from the wine cellar to the restaurant.

Six Senses Douro Valley Billiard Room

The Six Senses Douro Valley restaurant offers a range of indoor and outdoor dining options, including a chef’s table where I enjoy an impressive seven-course meal one night. The food here is as good as the view.

Beyond it are the terraces—perfect for sunset cocktails—and the pool and kitchen garden.

Six Senses Douro Valley Pool

The pool has some of the most amazing surroundings I’ve ever seen—vineyards and rivers galore—but I can’t help spending a lot of my free time at the spa. This is a Six Senses hotel, after all, and they’re famous for their spas.

I get a relaxing massage one day and hop between the sauna, steam room, and indoor pool the next.

Six Senses Douro Valley Spa

Afterwards I venture into the forest—yes, there’s a forest here—to wander in the woods and discover secret little nests with views over the Douro Valley. It’s so peaceful I don’t want to leave.

Six Senses Douro Valley Basket Chair

Douro Valley Sightseeing

But there’s a reason I fell in love with this part of Portugal on my last trip, and as much as I love the Six Senses Douro Valley hotel, I have to get out and revisit the region.

Car with Flowers in Lamego, Portugal

I take a trip to Lamego, a pretty town with a historic cathedral. Unfortunately for the cathedral, the stunning hilltop Santuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios church at the top of an ornate 600-step staircase steals the show.

Santuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios church in Lamego, Portugal

I also visit the 6th-century Sao Pedro de Balsemao chapel, the second oldest of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula.

Down a tiny one-lane road that winds along the hillside, its paintings and sculptures hide stories of the region through the centuries.

Sao Pedro de Balsemao chapel in the Douro Valley

No trip to the Douro Valley would be complete without some time on the water, and I also enjoy a river boat ride through the vineyards. If I were really ambitious, the award-winning Costa Nova beach near Aveiro is just an hour away.

Boat on the Douro River

But right here on the banks of the Douro River, DOC restaurant is one of the best places to go in the valley. I enjoy a lunch on the terrace that I wish would never end.

Lunch at DOC Restaurant in the Douro Valley

Six Senses Douro Valley Review: The Verdict

In fact, I wish the trip would never end. There aren’t many places I visit that I can see myself coming back to over and over again, but this is one of them.

And when I do have to go, I do so knowing that it won’t be long until I’m back at the Six Senses Douro Valley. That’s the only reason I leave.

Find this post helpful? Buy me a coffee!

New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email.

Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links. At no cost to you, I earn a small commission when you click on them and make a purchase. It doesn’t affect the way you shop, and it’s a great way to support the A Lady in London blog.

24 Comments on Lady’s Six Senses Douro Valley Review

  1. Do you have any more details on who you booked your travel with from airport to hotel? Any small details like where and who you booked the boat ride with.
    As a single traveler only speaking English the more of an itinerary I have he better !! Thank you so much in advance.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.